Receiving device for castings



26, 1939. w. F. \EPPENSTEINER 2,184,519

RECEIVING DEVICE FOR CASTINGS Filed May 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 YINVENTOR wax-W7 R E m E T S N E P P E F w RECEIVING DEVICE FOR CASTINGS's Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1937 INVENTOR V- r ATTORNEYS;

Dec. 26, 1939. w. F. EPPENSTEINER RECEIVING DEVICE FOR CASTINGS FiledMay 25, 1937 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 TOR Wm,

INVEN Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECEIVINGDEVICE FOR CAS-TINGS Application May 25, 1937, Serial No. 144,632

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for handling elongated forms orshapes, and aims to provide certain improvements therein.

The invention is particularly directed to a device for handlingcastings, and specifically copper castings of elongated form after theyare dropped from the casting molds. The invention perhaps has itsgreatest utility in the vertical casting of copper 'wire bars or billetswhich, according to the best modern practice, are cast in undividedmolds arranged in vertical position, the castings being dropped throughthe bottom of the molds when sufficiently solidified for mold ejection.It

is the custom to discharge such castings from the molds into a bosh,which is'a pit or pool of water, the effect of which is to further coolthe castings before they are taken elsewhere for storage, shipment, orfurther treatment. customarily, the bars or billets are caught on top ofa submerged steel conveyor apron and transferred to such a point as maybe required. This is particularly true in the use of a modern castingwheel where the successive castings are discharged at a given point inthe bosh and conveyed to a delivery point.

In the operation of such an apparatus, when the billet or bar is droppedfrom the mold, which is located above the water level, there is a veryconsiderable shock both to the bar or billet and the conveyor apron. Atthe time of delivery from the mold such bars or billets are stillexceedingly hot, and are subject to bending or denting, while the impactupon the conveyor due to the momentum of the bar or billet is quitesevere and makes for rapid wear of the belt.

According to the present invention I provide a means for receiving thebar or billet with little or no shock as it is dropped from the mold ina vertical position and then depositing the bar or billet upon theconveyor,also without shock to either. More specifically, the receiverin its preferred form comprises what-may be described as an uprightcylinder or pipe, a considerable part of which is located below thewater level of the bosh, which receiver is designed to receive eachcasting as it is delivered endwise and vertically from the mold.

The receiver is preferably mounted to tilt to a horizontal positionimmediately above the conveyor, this being preferably done by hingingthe 50 lower end of the receiver to a fixed point in the bosh. Theactual turning of the receiver to a horizontal position may be bygravity, partly offset by a counterweight system, or may be done by handor by power, such as by the use of an airactuated piston. In any event,the change from a vertical to a horizontal position should beaccomplished with little or no shock. After arriving at the horizontalposition means are employed to eject the casting from the receiver, andwhile this may be done in' different ways, I prefer to' form 5. thereceiver in two halves, longitudinally, so that by merely spreading thehalves the casting will drop sidewise fromthe receiver. Preferably thehorizontal position of the receiver is reachedimmediately over theconveyor, which preferably travels in a path at right angles to themovement of the receiver, the distance between the lower side of thereceiver and the upper face of the conveyor being as short as possibleso as to make the drop of the casting inconsequential so far as shock isconcerned.

The receiver is preferably freely accessible to the bosh water, and inits receiving position provides a somewhat confined body of water intowhich the casting drops endwise from the mold. This confined wateractsto a certain degree to cushion the fall of the casting into thereceiver.

The invention includes variousother features of improvement, which willbe hereinafter more fully described. 5,

In the drawings, wherein I have shown several forms of the inventionFigure 1 is an elevational view of the preferred construction, some ofthe parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 1, looking from rightto left, and showing the cylinder in its upright position after havingreceived a billet;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the cylinder in itshorizontal position just after the discharge of the billet;

Figs. 5 and 5 are, respectively, a perspective view and a section of asuitable pad or cushion for the bottom of a receiver; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing a modification in which the movementsof the receiver are controlled by air pressure.

Referring, first, to Figs. 1 to 4: Let A indicate the upper part of abosh or pit, a section of the wall of which is shown at B. The bosh isnormally filled with water up to a level represented by the line C. Wellbelow the surface of the, water is a conveyor D, which is usually in theright angles to the plane of Fig. 1. When the present invention is usedin connection with a casting wheel, the latter will have a dischargepoint which is indicated by the mold X, the billet 5e 50.- form of anendless steel apron, which travels at E being discharged endwise fromthe individual molds at such delivery point.

Referring, now, to Fig. 1: It will be seen that the billet E is shown asresting within the receiver F, the lower end of which has a bracket Gwhich turns about a pivot H mounted in a framework I. This method ofmoving permits the receiver F to move from the full-line position ofFig. l to the horizontal position shown in dash-and-dotted lines.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the receiver is shown as a cylinder formed intwo longitudinal halves F F which are hinged at their left-hand or rearsides, as shown at J. The hinges are connected with a T-beam K,extending vertically and connected with the bracket G, so that thesections F F of the cylinder may open and close while continuouslysupported by the beam K, which beam moves with the cylinder in theoperation of the device.

There is no attempt to make the joint between the bottom F and the sidesF F of the cylinder water-tight, nor to make the vertical joints of thetwo halves of the cylinder of a similar tightness; it being desired thatthe water of the bosh shall have a comparatively easy ingress to theinterior of the cylinder, while at the same time oppose a seriousresistance to a quick outflow. When the billet E drops endwise from themold into the upper part of the cylinder, it immediately strikes thebosh water which is under semi-confinement in the cylinder and whichacts to cushion the dropping movement of the billet. The displaced watercan fiow upwardly around the billet and out through the joints of thecylinder, but it is sufficiently impeded in its movement to cushion thebillet to a certain extent. The bottom of the cylinder may be providedwith a wooden block, or blocks, or with a pad,such as L, shown in detailin Figs. 5 and 5 ,or with any other sort of a cushion which may bedesired, for receiving the lower end of the billet and overcoming theslight shock which would be incident to metal contact. The cylindershould be kept in a substantially closed position while it is beingtilted from the vertical to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 4. Avery simple and effective means for accomplishing this consists of apair of guard rails M, M, which are placed just far enough apart tomaintain the two sides of the cylinder in closed position while thecylinder is upright and to hold them in such position until just beforethe final delivery of the casting to the conveyor. The delivery positionis best illustrated in Fig. 4, which figure illustrates the mode ofoperation preferred in. the release of the billet from the cylinder. Itwill be noted in this figure that guard rails M, M terminate above theunloading position, so that the cylinder escapes their control shortlyabove the conveyor. As soon as this control is absent, the weight of thebillet causes the cylinder to open by forcing its two sides outwardly,permit ting the billet to drop the short remaining distance to theelevator. When the billet is released, it requires only an upwardmovement of the cylinder until its sides contact with the guard rails toclose the cylinder and to hold it closed until the end of the nextoperation.

It is desirable, of course, that the cylinder with its load shall notacquire any deleterious momentum as it tilts from its vertical to itshorizontal position. Figs. 1 to 4 show one means for effecting this. Inthese figures the pivot I-I around which the cylinder moves is offset toone side of the cylinder, so that the latter tends to drop sidewise tothe horizontal position. This dropping motion is counteracted to acertain extent by the counterweight O' affixed to the bracket by arm G.Normally the counterweight is sufficient so as to initiate a stateapproaching balance with the loaded cylinder, just permitting thecylinder to tilt to its side without acquiring any considerablemomentum. In this operation the cylinder and its load are impeded, ofcourse, to a greater extent by the bosh water than is the counterweight0. When the billet is released, however, the counterweight,starting fromits dash position in Fig. 1,-immediately moves the cylinder toward thevertical position. At the beginning of this operation, the weight isextended at its most effective point, so that the cylinder is easilyclosed and moved upwardly toward its vertical position. As the verticalposition is neared,

however, the weight becomes less and less effective, so that there is noundue shock at the top of the stroke. Any desired cushioning meanssuchas a cushion R-can be employed at this point. Preferably, a second setof guard rails P, P are provided, against which the bottom of thecylinder rides, so that the parts of the cylinder are kept closed bothat the top and at the bottom.

The construction of cylinder shown in Fig. 2,- wherein sections F F arenot truly semi-cylindrical, but have more or less tangential parts Q,Q',--facilitates the dropping of the billet from the cylinder at the endof the drop and also introduces a certain element of friction betweenthe cylinder halves and the several guard rails, as the billet exercisesa slight wedging operation when it moves toward the horizontal position.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a somewhat modified construction in which themovements of the receiver are controlled by compressed air or the like.This figure in the main follows the construction already described,except that the counterweight O is omitted, there being substitutedtherefor a counterweight 0 which is connected with the receiver at thepoint 0 by a cable systerm 0 O Inserted in this cable system is adouble-ended piston rod S, which passes through a stationary cylinder Tfrom end to end. On the piston rod S is mounted a piston U. As thereceiver swings from its vertical to its horizontal position and againto its vertical, the piston traverses the cylinder, the proportion ofthe parts being such as to secure this result. This arrange ment may beregarded as a dash-pot for controlling the movements of the receiver.When the casting is in the receiver, the counterweight is much overbalanced; while after the casting is released from the receiver, thelatter is much over-balanced by the counterweight. Any suitablecombination of retarding effects may be introduced by means of thisdash-pot arrangement. In the construction shown an ordinary speed box isprovided on the cylinder, by means of which different orifices areprovided for the escape of air as the piston moves from the left to theright in Fig. 6. Preferably I provide a compressed air intake V whichleads to a suitable source of compressed air, a check-valve W beingplaced in the line to control the air pressure at the right-hand of thepiston. The preferred operation is such that the receiver tilts rapidlyuntil the casting is wholly immersed, and then more slowly, so that thecasting has time to cool off and harden to a considerable extent beforeit is released, thus rendering it less likely to be dented as it comesin contact with the steel conveyor when discharged from the receiver.This control system is given as an example, since many other types ofcontrol can be utilized.

In either of the constructions shown it is desirable to interpose someform of cushion between the metal bottom of the receiver and thecasting, on which the latter may drop. In Fig. 1 I have shown a hardwoodblock L, which is sufficient; though I may provide a pad, such as shownat L' in Figs. 5 and 5 This pad comprises a multiplicity of shortlengths of rope which areheld together by a band y. Such a pad may beheld in place on the bottom plate F" for instance (Fig. by short bolts2, z, the heads of which are imbedded in the pad L and the shanks ofwhich pass through the bottom plate and are engaged by suitable nuts.

While I have shown and described several forms of the invention, it willbe understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since variousmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a bosh or pit having liquid therein, and areceiver for receiving the castings falling in such bosh, said receiverbeing mounted at least in part below the liquid level and having meansfor admitting thereto liquid from the bosh, the proportions of thereceiver and casting being such that as the casting enters the receiver,the displacement of liquid from the receiver will be sufficientlyretarded to materially cushion the fall of the casting.

2. The combination of a bosh or pit having liquid therein, and areceiver for receiving the castings falling in such bosh, said receiverbeing mounted at least in part below the liquid level and having meansfor admitting thereto liquid from the bosh, the proportions of thereceiver and casting being such that as the casting enters the receiver,the displacement of liquid from the receiver will be sufiicientlyretarded to materially cushion the fall of the casting, said receiverbeing mounted for turning toward a horizontal position to discharge thecasting and having a movable side through which the casting isdischarged.

3. A receiving device for castings, comprising two hinged parts, atilting member to which such parts are hinged, said receiving devicebeing pivoted to turn from a vertical to a horizontal position, andrails in slidable engagement with said hinged parts for holding thelatter together during such movement.

4. A receiving device for castings, comprising two hinged parts, atilting member to which such parts are hinged, said receiving devicebeing pivoted to turn from a vertical to a substantially horizontalposition, and rails extending along opposite sides of the course of suchpivotal movement of said receiving device and adapted to engage the saidhinged parts and hold them together during a substantial part of suchmovement, said receiver being adapted to pass below said rails, wherebythe hinged parts may be opened by the weight of the casting, and meansfor restoring the receiver to a vertical position, said rails acting toclose said hinged parts during the last-mentioned movement.

5. A receiver for castings, comprising two hinged parts, a member towhich such parts are hinged, a pivot for said receiver located at thelower part thereof and permitting the receiver to tilt toward ahorizontal position, and a counterweight ior said receiver tending tomaintain it in a vertical position when empty.

6. A receiver for castings, comprising two hinged parts, a member towhich such parts are hinged, a pivot for said receiver located at thelower part thereof and permitting the receiver to tilt toward ahorizontal position, and a counterweight for said receiver tending tomaintain it in a vertical position when empty, theweights of thereceiver, the counterweight, and casting being so proportioned that thecasting will overbalance the counterweight and move the receiver to ahorizontal position.

7. A receiver for castings, comprising a pivoted member having hingedparts for the release of the casting, said receiver being adapted tomove about its pivot froma vertical toward a horizontal position, railsin slidable engagement with said hinged parts for holding the latterclosed during a portion of such movementagainst the tendency of thehinged parts to open under the weight of the casting, therebyfrictionally retarding said receiver.

8. A receiver for castings, comprising hinged members forming a spacetherewithin for a Y ing to maintain said receiver in its verticalposition, and means for controlling the movements of such receiver, thesaid hinged members being adapted to turn on their hinges when thereceiver is in a horizontal position, whereby to discharge the castingfrom the receiver.

9. The method of handling a casting which comprises dropping saidcasting substantially endwisely from a mold into a substantially closedreceiver which contains liquid and is at least partially submerged inliquid, then turning the receiver by gravity toward a more nearlyhorizontal position and opening said receiver to discharge the castingtherefrom, liquid in the receiver being sufficiently confinedtherewithin to cushion the fall of the casting into the receiver andliquid in which the receiver is submerged WILLIAM F. EPPENSTEINER.

